It is my opinion that Eagle's work as described with privately owned dogs is a clinical study that has been reviewed by and is being overseen by the Clinical Trials Committee of Great Eastern University's veterinary school. Therefore, it would not fall under the auspices of Great Eastern's IACUC. The dogs are privately owned and do not belong to either Eagle or Great Eastern. In addition, the owners have given informed consent, which should have included the possibility of anesthetic complications and fully described what is meant by 'periodic' fMRI studies.

If the work was a clinical study that was designed for research purposes only, then an approved IACUC protocol and oversight would be necessary. The imaging and anesthesia would have to be fully described, and Southedge Hospital would need to be cited as a satellite location and inspected by the IACUC.

The frustration of the school's veterinarians is understandable, as Eagle's attitude appears to be rather dismissive of their concerns. However, as a veterinary neurologist, Eagle is well within his rights to utilize the information gleaned from these diagnostic tests in his research.

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